"Brother Cui and Brother Chen, why are you free to come over today?" A middle-aged man from the Chu family welcomed him out, and immediately cupped his hands and said, "It's cold outside, come in quickly."
"It's been a long time since Chu Gong left Beijing." Cui Qingze stepped forward and asked with a smile on his face, "Is Chu Gong still in good health?"
The middle-aged man nodded and said: "The old man has always been strong."
Cui Qingze said with a smile: "Mr. Chu is still in good health at such an ancient age, but he is truly a national treasure."
"You two little guys, it's not Chinese New Year yet, why are you here so early?"
As soon as the two stepped into the door, an old voice came from the front.
An old man with white hair and a skin like withered pine, holding a scroll in his hand, looked up at the two of them, and asked, "Is Chen Yin still in good health?"
"I've seen Mr. Chu." Chen Chong stepped forward and bowed before saying, "My father is in good health, but he always forgets things. He has been recuperating at home for the past two years."
The old man shook his head and said, "He, he was physically weak when he was young, unlike Qin Wen and Shen Ke... Hey, stop talking, stop talking, tomorrow is the first day of junior high school, what are you doing here today?"
After Cui Qingze saluted, he smiled and said: "It's not that I'm worried that after the first day of the lunar new year, too many people will come to Chu's mansion and we won't be able to see Mr. Chu, so we can only come here early to say hello."
"He is articulate." The old man glanced at him and said, "Sit."
After the two sat down, the old man put down the scroll and asked again: "I heard that the imperial court plans to build academies in various states, allowing poor students to study for free?"
Cui Qingze was startled, nodded and said, "There is such a thing."
"When the first emperor was still alive, the old man mentioned this matter many times, but it was postponed on the grounds that the national treasury was tight. When will the national treasury not be tight?" The old man glanced at the two and said, "Let these People raising money, who came up with the idea this time, it's really wonderful..."
Cui Qingze's face was embarrassed, and he felt very uncomfortable when he heard it. He came today to say that the princess's governance was not in accordance with the etiquette. Unexpectedly, before he opened his mouth, Chu Gong actually praised the princess first, but he could only nod and said : "This idea was conceived by Her Royal Highness the Princess."
"It's that little girl." The old man nodded when he heard the words, and said, "I've heard about what she did in the past two years. It's very good..., but unfortunately, it's a woman..."
Cui Qingze's eyes lit up, and he immediately said: "Yes, although Her Royal Highness has both ability and political integrity, she is still just a woman anyway. In the future, this great cause will still fall on the body of some prince..."
The old man shook his head and repeated again: "It's a pity, it's a pity..."
Cui Qingze suppressed the joy in his heart, and said: "Now that His Majesty is in poor health, and the princess is capable, it is certainly a good thing to act on her behalf, but in this capital, after all, there must be a suitable prince here, just in case, Mr. Chu , what do you say?"
The old man glanced at him, and said, "You mean the king of Shu? Don't think that the old man is traveling abroad, so he doesn't know the bastard things he does. The virtuous king, forced the palace? He will turn into a dragon when he encounters a storm?"
"If the old man was in the capital at that time, he would have smashed his head with this crutch, and asked him who taught these messy things!" The old man picked up the crutch beside him, knocked it on the ground, and said, "Your Majesty didn't Cutting off his head is considered extraordinarily merciful..."
Cui Qingze was speechless for a moment, before he said after a long time: "Mr. Chu doesn't know, His Highness was framed by others, he definitely wouldn't do that kind of thing..."
"Okay, okay..." The old man waved his hand and said, "In any case, he is the eldest son of His Majesty, and he is based on the ancestral system. I only hope that he can reflect on himself in Shuzhou, and don't make mistakes. If he can correct himself Self-renewal, with virtuous ministers and assistants by his side, it may not be impossible to become a wise king... "
This is an obvious statement. Cui Qingze knew that although Chu Gong was angry with the foolish things His Highness did, his position did not change, and he said repeatedly: "Your Highness is in Shuzhou. He studies hard every day and meditates on his past. It's been a year, it's not what it used to be, and I will definitely live up to Mr. Chu's expectations..."
He changed his voice and said: "It's just that your majesty is in serious condition, the government is chaotic, and there are sycophants in disorder, and your majesty has not called your highness back to Beijing for a long time..."
The old man didn't wait for him to finish, and interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said: "The government and the country are chaotic? Why do I think that the court is a rare time of Qingming in decades; Having eliminated many treacherous and sycophantic people in the court, how can there be any talk of sycophants and sycophants?"
"—"
Cui Qingze opened his mouth, suddenly not knowing what to say.
Chen Chong took a sip of tea, looking at his nose and heart, quietly savoring the fragrant tea from Chu Mansion.
"You know, Mr. Chu, a few days ago, there was an early warning of the celestial phenomenon of 'Yinghuo guarding the heart'. Yinghuo guarding the heart is not good for the king. He is a treacherous and disorderly government. Li Yi, the Marquis of Chang'an County, is the only one who is favored by His Majesty..."
"Yinghuo Shouxin..., His Majesty, these four words are in line with it." The old man nodded, then shook his head, and said: "But Yinghuo Shouxin is only detrimental to the emperor, and has no intention of sycophantic government?"
"But… "
"Could it be that Si Tianjian has published a new theory of astrology?"
Cui Qingze: "—"
…
"Mr. Chu, my junior bids farewell..."
After a while, Cui Qingze and Chen Chong stood up, bowed to the old man surnamed Chu, turned and left.
Watching the two leave, the middle-aged man turned to look at the old man and asked, "Father, why are you..."
The old man looked at him and said: "Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. The Chu family has been famous for a hundred years. The tree is difficult and easy to destroy. Just remember this..."
The middle-aged man bowed respectfully, "Your child will be taught."
"Li Yi..." the old man murmured, and then yawned, "I'm sleepy, what's the matter, let's talk when I wake up..."
In front of Chu's house, Cui Qingze took a deep breath and managed to calm down.
Chen Chong shook his head and said: "The ending is already very good. At least Mr. Chu is willing to say that sentence. At the critical moment, he will definitely speak out for His Highness."
"It's not enough..." Cui Qingze let out a long sigh of relief and murmured.
What he wants is not what Chu Taifu says, but what he does. If this Jingguo Bone is willing to stand on their side with a clear-cut banner, it is equivalent to them gaining the support of the world's officials at the same time. How can it be compared with a mere sentence
Seeming to have thought of something, Cui Qingze asked again: "Yinghuo keeps one's heart, do you really have no intention of treacherous officials?"
Chen Chong thought for a moment, then said: "Brother Cui, you might as well read more when you go back."
"Uncle Cui, Uncle Chen."
A voice came from the front, Cui Qingze turned his head, saw the person coming, with a smile on his face, and said, "It's Chu Ping, why didn't you go around the mansion when you came back this time?"
Chu Ping said with some embarrassment: "I plan to visit in two days..."
After saying hello to the two, Chu Ping entered the mansion, and Chen Chong and Cui Qingze got into the carriage.
Cui Qingze glanced at Chu's mansion and said, "I heard that Chu Ping is often with that child from the Wei family recently?"
Chen Chong looked at him, his eyes moved slightly, and then he nodded slowly, "The few of them have walked a little closer recently."
Cui Qingze patted his robe and said with a smile, "It's good to be close, good to be close..."